Yahoo recently released an iPhone and iPod Touch application for their Yahoo! Messenger service. The application, while being 1.0, is quite good. During my testing, I didn’t have any application crashes like many had with the AIM 1.0 application release.
The Yahoo Messenger application uses many little visual aspects that are offered in applications that have been around for much longer. For instance, when you click on the username text box to login, the screen redraws itself so that the big Yahoo logo is gone, along with the new account, and sign in button occupying the same row. It may not be anything to most, but it is quite elegant.
Along with moving buttons and views being re-drawn, the Application does what it’s designed to do. It does allow you to send text messages to contacts on your list. Which is convenient in case you want to keep chatting, but need to get in touch with someone.
Another little touch is the Emoticons that are included with the application. You’re given a choice of 30 different emoticons, which, if you use them, is nice and convenient so you don’t have to remember them all. Along with inserting emoticons, you can also include URLs and photos. You can take a photo right from within the application and send it to somebody.
There are a few issues with the application, nothing that will break the application, but still, they are issues.
The first of said issues, is that when you’re sending a message, you’re presented with a 2 line view, but you can only see one line of the message you send. If you’re message goes to the second line, it scrolls up, and you only see the second line. It’s nothing major, but a minor visual bug.
The second of these issues actually relates to the service, not the application. If you try and send an SMS to a non-mobile number, say Google voice account, it will not work. You’ll be presented with the following screen.
Overall, the application is quite good. It does what is to be expected of a chat application, it allows you to chat. As good as Yahoo Messenger is, I’m still eagerly awaiting an All-in-one chat application, which Meebo is working on, since they did show off their application at the iPhone OS 3.0 preview event last month. Oh, and it’s Free, doesn’t cost a single penny.
